This volume contains the study report and proceedings of the Regional Workshop on the Taxonomy, Ecology and Processing of Economically Important Red Seaweeds, which was held in Bangkok, Thailand from 24 to 27 January 1995. The Workshop was supported by the Government of France Trust Fund with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and implemented under GCP/INT/553/FRA. The Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) provided financial assistance and implemented the project. The government representatives who submitted country reports spoke as official representatives of their respective governments. The views contained in this publication do not necessarily represent those of FAO or NACA.

Reference: FAO/NACA (1996). Regional Study and Workshop on the Taxonomy, Ecology and Processing of Economically Important Red Seaweeds. NACA Environment and Aquaculture Development Series No. 3. Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand.

NACA takes pleasure and pride in bringing the results of the regional study on the Taxonomy, Ecology and Processing of Red Seaweeds to farmers, governments, research and development organisations, the private industry support sector, investment agencies and regional and international assistance organisations. This report comprises:

the results of studies conducted in the nine participating countries and the status of red seaweed development in two other countries that attended the final workshop;

technical reviews by resource persons from collaborating organisations and institutions in the Asia-Pacific region and France; and

recommendations for follow-up action by countries and for regional collaboration in support of national efforts.

The study focused on Gracilaria species, which was of common interest among the countries because of:

the many products that can be derived or extracted from it, such as human food, protein, and various bio-medical and industrial materials;

its many uses, including as a phytosanitation agent of aquaculture waters and as a polyculture species with mollusc, shrimp and fish which are important contributions to environmental and natural resources management;

its production and processing lends itself very well to community or family based small-scale activities which adds to rural employment and income; and

the potential value of Gracilaria to national economies; the export or local consumption of Gracilaria in its dried raw, semi-processed, and processed forms could earn (or save) a sizeable amount of foreign exchange.

The country studies and workshop results identified activity areas and methods for upgrading Gracilaria stocks to:

improve agar yield and quality;

improve systems of growing the species to increase production levels and make better use of natural resources; and

identify other economic uses of the seaweed to enhance its utility or value.

The recommendations highlight regional co-operative action, in view of the relatively uneven state of advancement in Gracilaria research and development among the countries and the presence of a number of national and regional institutions that could be strengthened to serve as focal points and sources of expertise and technology for regional sharing. Specific areas and ways to co-operate in research, training, and information and expert exchange are recommended. The workshop however has recognised that upgrading the regional capacity from its present strength to that of self-reliance — a long-term objective — would require intensified assistance from organisations external to the region. In particular, the French Government which has for a long time provided assistance in seaweed development to various countries through collaboration with scientists and technologists in several institutions in the region, was identified as a potential long-term collaborator in seaweed culture and processing research and development.

NACA, on behalf of the participating countries in the Asia-Pacific region, would like to express it's gratitude to IFREMER and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for endorsing the project, and the Government of France for providing funding and technical support. It is hoped that the conclusions and recommendations of this study and workshop will provide a baseline from which continued collaboration, with FAO, the Government of France and further co-operation with other concerned agencies and institutions, can be successfully developed.

I take this opportunity to commend the former NACA Co-ordinator, Dr Banchong Tiensongrusmee, on his role in bringing this study and workshop to a successful conclusion.

Hassanai KongkeoNACA Co-ordinator

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